My work here at the first Ganefo Games of Asia as a Badminton detective inquiring into the mystery of China's sudden and spectacular rise in the game has proved as easy as recognising my own face in a mirror.

I recognised him at once as Thing Hian Hiuw, an Indonesian 16-year-old at that time (in 1959) who had impressed me as a player of exceptional talent.

I had then called him "The Thing" after a current horror film.

It has now been proved to be a flash of blinding foresight because Thing Hian Hiuw is the current terror of the Badminton courts with crushing victories over players like Erland Kops of Denmark and Tan Joe Hock of Indonesia.

"The Thing" vanished from sight immediately after his 1959 appearances in Singapore and Malaya.

He has now emerged from behind the "bamboo curtain" with F. Kai Hsiang, another ex-Indonesian who is his twin in brilliant Badminton, both under the camouflage of different names.

Both Hsian Hu and Kai Hsiang registered blank surprise at first when asked about their lndonesian past.

But Ferry Sonneville, Indonesia's Thomas Cup captain since 1958 who is here as an observer, and former Malayan Thomas Cup ace, Ong Poh Lim of Singapore, who is also here as a tourist, know them well.

Sonneville says that both Hsian Hu and Kai Hsiang were members of Indonesia's 1958 Thomas Cup training squad and that their coach was also a former Indonesian player and coach.

On present form I would say that both Hsian Hu and Kai Hsiang would beat Tan Aik Huang rather easily. I would give Aik Huang 10 points at most although Ong Poh Lim thinks he would not win more than five points.

In the Danish Invitation Tournament at Copenhagen in October, 1965, both these players were on court.

Tang Hsien-hu (slightly different spelling then) beat Sven Andersen, 15-0, 15-4, and Fang Kai-hsiang beat Erland Kops, 15-6, 15-10. The former eventually won the tournament from the final challenge of yet another Chinese who had already beaten Fang Kai-hsiang to 9 and 9.

Not until China affiliates itself to the I.B.F. will these Chinese players be eligible to compete in the Thomas Cup, the All-England Championships or any other open international championship tournament. The Ganefo Games, mentioned in the article, are not recognsed by the I.B.F.